


What the Soldier Saw

by fabricdragon



Series: Smooth Criminal [7]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond - All Media Types, Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Non graphic violence, Past Relationship(s), Possible Spoilers, alternative view on other stories, non graphic rape/non con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 00:53:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9212369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabricdragon/pseuds/fabricdragon
Summary: Vignettes in Sebastian Moran's life, and some of his POV on the other stories in the Smooth Criminal series.spoilers  will be labeled.timeline will be labeled (as in, this takes place during "Smooth Criminal", part 1 or "We could be Heroes" part 3, etc.





	

Sebastian Moran was still jealous.  He knew better, Oh GOD he knew better, but he was still jealous.

He gritted his teeth through every further meeting with Jim’s contacts and his peculiar ways of ensuring loyalty that veered between flirtation and threats‑ usually it was nothing more than flirtations.  Sebastian had to admit that for most people, having Jim casually making a comment about ways to kill someone with bleach‑ and flirting‑ did get the idea across that he was insane and unpredictable if angered.

They weren’t wrong.

But they weren’t right, either.

Jim wasn’t “unpredictable”: he just used whimsy and randomness as a tool.  Sebastian had started reading more psychology just to keep up, and Jim happily suggested books on neuro-linguistic programming and random reinforcement.

Sebastian supposed he should be more concerned that a lot of the techniques he saw Jim using on other people had been used on him… but Jim had saved his life. The manipulative git may not love him back, but he was fairly certain Jim was fond of him. He certainly got more of his time than the others.  He was also one of perhaps three people Jim trusted to be with when he slept, and when he had his blank moods‑ which Sebastian now knew to be some kind of disassociation.

Then Jim recruited a new person‑Brian‑ someone with a talent for hand-to-hand that left Sebastian lying on the mat wondering what hit him. Jim pulled him into his orbit, and the way the man looked at Jim set Sebastian’s teeth on edge.

“He’s… very possessive of you, Sir,” Sebastian said one day, when Jim asked him for his opinion.

“Yes, it’s an issue” Jim sighed. “I hope it won’t be necessary to deal with that permanently: he’s good at his job and not bad in bed.”

_I’d like to deal with him permanently._   Sebastian very carefully didn’t say.

“Jealous?” Jim said looking up at him.

They were in private, so Sebastian didn’t bother to lie. “Always, but I won’t risk what I have.”

Jim patted his arm, in what seemed to be one of the handfuls of genuinely fond gestures he had.

Jim selected Brian as his bodyguard the next time he went out to have one of his liaisons with someone.  _So that had been a test._

*

As soon as Brian had Jim alone he grabbed him by the shoulders. “You didn’t need to do that!”

“You’re touching me,” Jim said, frowning down at the hand on his shoulder.

“You need to send someone else to cozy up to people like that!”

“Brian? I didn’t give you permission to touch me. Take your hands off me,” Jim said very softly.

Brian growled down at him, “You’re mine! You shouldn’t‑“

Jim went pliant and soft in his arms. “You’re really jealous? How… sweet.” Jim glanced up at him from under his eyelashes, “Let me make you forget all about it.”

Brian was a little rougher than he usually was, and more possessive, muttering, “Mine, only mine!” into Jim’s ear.

“Of course, my love, just yours,”  Jim agreed, softer and submissive and pleasing in bed until Brian collapsed, spent, on top of him.

*

Brian had gone into Jim’s rooms to talk to him. Sebastian expected explosions, and wondered if Brian would be more sensible than HE’D been‑ or less‑ and how quickly he would catch on.

No one came out.  Sebastian knew never to go into Jim’s rooms without permission, and he hadn’t hit the panic button… but… Sebastian eventually fell asleep on the couch.

He woke up when the door to Jim’s rooms clicked softly and Jim walked out, looking distracted.  Jim had a hand up, so Sebastian didn’t say anything, but… Jim’s posture was wrong, all soft and gentle and… his face was very blank, with a soft smile.  He looked like a doll, or a sleepwalker.  Sebastian felt the beginnings of a shiver.

Jim walked to the small safe and got out the injector.  He turned and walked back into his room.

After a moment Jim came back out. “Sebastian?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Do you remember where you woke up?”

Sebastian didn’t have to ask what he meant. “Yes, Sir,” he nodded. “Would you like me to take him there?”

“Yes.” Jim looked thoughtful, “Remember to restrain his legs, too.”  He walked away.

Sebastian went into Jim’s rooms, expecting to find Brian on the floor. He didn’t find him until he got to the bedroom.  Brian was nude, sprawled in bed, half under the sheets.  There was enough evidence of sex…

_He couldn’t have?_   If there was one thing Sebastian was three months certain of, it was that jealousy wouldn’t be rewarded with sex.  _But Jim would have called, or hit the panic button…_ Sebastian’s eyes went wide as he remembered just how dangerous Brian was barehanded.

He took him to a place Sebastian never wanted to see again, and chained him the way he’d woken up‑ wrists to the ring in the floor‑ then he chained his legs.

He spent hours pacing the perimeter of the room‑ he didn’t want to be too close to him.

Eventually Brian woke up. “You!” He jerked, trying to get to his feet.

“Brian.” Sebastian had gotten his voice and breathing controlled long ago‑he was a sniper after all.

“Jim will kill you when he finds out‑“

“Jim tranqed you.”

Brian laughed at him. “Yeah, right. Why would he do that?”

“He doesn’t cope well with jealousy, Brian.  I hate your guts, but out of courtesy‑“

“I just spent the best night of my life with him, so don’t even try it.”

Sebastian felt sick. “You… Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“You want to get rid of me because I replaced you!”

Jim’s voice came from the door, and _yes, it was that calm, scary, very bad, professional voice._ “You were never going to replace Sebastian.” He walked into the room and strolled around to in front of him. “You had a chance to be in addition to him, but you threw that away.”

“Jim?” Brian sounded so confused.

“Sir,” Jim said voice as cool as Sebastian remembered. He shivered.

“Jim!” Brian jerked on the restraints. “What the hell?!”

Sebastian realized Jim hadn’t moved.  He came over to him, “Sir?”

Jim looked up at him and his face cleared, slightly. “Jim,” he said, and leaned back into Sebastian’s chest.

Sebastian almost fell to his knees in relief, but instead he nodded, looking down at him. “Jim… what happened?”

Brian snarled, “Get away from him! What‑“

Jim moved his hand up casually‑ _he was holding a small gun_ ‑ and fired.  Brian screamed as a bloody hole appeared in his shoulder.

“Don’t interrupt, Brian: it’s rude.” Jim’s voice light, calm, unruffled. 

He looked back up at Sebastian, “He said I belonged to him.” And he smiled, sweetly, softly‑ completely ignoring Brian.

Sebastian swallowed hard, “What would you like me to do with him?”

“What the HELL, Jim?” Brian was trying to stare up at them, without putting more strain on his shoulder. “You said you loved me!”

“Love?” Jim startled and looked down at him. “Love?”  He giggled, “You think having to have sex with someone who says he owns me is love?”

“You… You didn’t… you wanted to!”

Sebastian was just staring at Brian in horror.

Jim crouched down in front of Brian and tilted his head up. “You wouldn’t take your hands off me, and you said I was yours.  Tell me, Brian, what did you expect me to do to defend myself?”

“You… You said you were mine…” Brian trailed off, and looked from Jim to Sebastian.

“Do you know what happens to people I belong to, Brian?  People who think they own me? Control me?”  Jim pulled out a knife. “They cease to exist.”

Sebastian forced himself to stay.

When Jim was done, there wasn’t much left to identify him.  You couldn’t read the words he’d carved on him anymore‑he didn’t have enough skin left.

Jim looked up at Sebastian, thoughtfully, wiping off the knife. “You stayed this time.”

Sebastian made a point of breathing through his mouth, trying not to taste the blood in the air, “I thought you might need me.”

Jim nodded. “I do, Sebie.”

Sebastian came around and carefully put his arms around him; he only relaxed when Jim laid his head back on Sebastian’s chest.

“I’ll need to move until we can redecorate my rooms.”

“Yes, Sir. Shall I donate the bed to a charity?”

“Certainly, pick one,” Jim nodded. “I need to go now.”

“Jim?”  But Jim had gone‑ gone to wherever he went in his head sometimes.

Sebastian took him out to the car, to go to one of the other buildings.  Somewhere on the drive, he realized:   _Jim trusted me.  I knew he needed me to stay, and he trusted me enough to let himself go._

Sebastian tucked that warm feeling away.

And if sometimes he was jealous?

This was what he had‑ it was enough.


End file.
